SACRAMENTO KINGS

Kings struggle to convert in Philly, fall 117-104

Jan 29, 2025, 7:04 PM

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JANUARY 29: Ricky Council IV #14 of the Philadelphia 76ers drives to t...

Ricky Council IV #14 of the Philadelphia 76ers drives to the basket against De'Aaron Fox #5 of the Sacramento Kings during the first half at the Wells Fargo Center on January 29, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)

(Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)

Amid all the drama surrounding De’Aaron Fox, the Sacramento Kings 2024-25 NBA schedule continues with a road matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night.

Philadelphia’s bench outscored the Kings 40-15, while Tyrese Maxey led the way with 30 points on 12/24 shooting, defeating Sacramento 117-104.

Their high-paced, defensive style of play that had been so effective under interim head coach Doug Christie was only seen in spurts.

The 76ers dominated from beyond the arc, converting 12/29 (41.1 percent) from deep compared to 10/41 (24.4 percent) from the other side.

All of Sacramento’s starters added 13 points or more, with Domantas Sabonis recording his usual triple-double (13 points, 14 rebounds, 11 assists).

They’re now 1-3 on this six-game road trips with remaining stops on Oklahoma City and Minnesota.

Kings at 76ers Injury Report

Sacramento

  • Doug McDermott (illness) – OUT
  • Isaac Jones (G-League) – OUT
  • Colby Jones (G-League) – OUT
  • Isaiah Crawford (G-League) – OUT

Philadelphia

  • Joel Emiid (left knee) – OUT
  • Paul George (left finger) -OUT
  • Jared McCain (left knee) – OUT
  • Caleb Martin (right hip) – OUT
  • Andre Drummond (left toe) – OUT
  • KJ Martin (left foot) – OUT

Sacramento’s Starting FiveDe’Aaron Fox, Malik Monk, DeMar DeRozan, Keegan Murray, Domantas Sabonis

Philadelphia’s Starting Five: Tyrese Maxey, Eric Gordon, Kelly Oubre Jr., Justin Edwards, Guerschon Yabusele

Kings at 76ers Game Notes

While the 76ers were significantly undermanned, they had found recent success with this current roster iteration, defeating the Los Angeles Lakers 118-104 the night prior, their third straight victory. Meanwhile, it was the Kings’ fourth game of a six-game road trip where they owned a 1-2 record up to that point.

Monk got rolling early, especially after Fox went to the bench, and Sacrameto’s offense centered around his pick-and-roll with Sabonis. With no McDermott, Kevin Huerter saw the floor in the first after receiving his first DNP-CD as a member of the Kings during their last showing in Brooklyn.

Twelve points in the first quarter tied for a career-high in an opening quarter for Monk, leading his team to a 30-point quarter and two-point advantage over the Sixers.

Like heavily injured NBA teams often do, the next guys on the roster embraced the opportunity and stepped up to the moment. Edwards, Gordon, Kyle Lowry, and Ricky Council filled their roles while Maxey led the way.

Philadelphia led 60-56 at halftime, with Maxey’s 17 points leading the way while Gordon added 14 of his own. They were efficient from three, converting 7/13 (53.8 percent) in the first half compared to Sacramento’s 6/20 (30 percent).

The Kings were stellar in the paint, where they recorded 30 of their first-half points, but eight turnovers and the aforementioned poor shooting had them in a close battle.

Murray stole the show in the third, being aggressive in transition and attacking the rim with intent to dunk.

As Christie has often used, his squad went to a 2-3 zone for an extended stretch, mucking up the game with Fox, Monk, and Keon Ellis causing havoc at the top of it.

Yet, Philadelphia continued to knock down timely triples. Just as it looked like the Kings would pull away, a few too many turnovers caused issues and the 76ers made shots on the other end. Maxey showed no signs of showing down, while Fox struggled to catch a rhythm amid the inconsistent pace of play.

All of Sacramento’s starters found their way into double figures with relative ease. Still, their bench production was lacking.

Kings led 80-68 at the 3:13 mark of the third quarter, but the Sixers weren’t going away easily with the likes of Council IV, Lowry, and Reggie Jackson leading to a 30-9 run to end the third.

That stretch gave Philly an 89-87 advantage with 12 minutes remaining. Defensively, where the Kings tend to excel during their best showings, they were unable to slow anyone down and their offense wasn’t clicking enough to keep up, especially in the fourth.

Tallying just 17 points in the final frame compared, being outscored by 11 points as they eventually felt 117-104. It’s the fourth straight win for the 76ers, while the Kings fall to 1-3 on this road trip with remaining visits to Oklahoma City and Minnesota before returning to Golden 1 Center on Wednesday, Feb. 5th.

It was a back-and-forth battle for most of the night, but it never felt like the Kings could consistently execute in ways adjacent to their identity of a high-paced, physical brand of basketball.

All of their starters tallied at least 13 points, while their bench added a total of 15 points on 3/14 from three. Monk led his side with 21 points on 8/18 from the field while Fox (19) and DeRozan (19) didn’t eclipse the 20-point mark.

You can’t help but wonder if the Fox rumors are affecting the roster or if it’s the natural ups and downs of a season, especially during a six-game road trip.

Upcoming schedule for the 2024-25 Sacramento Kings

  • Saturday, February 1st – @ Oklahoma City Thunder – 5:00 PM PT
  • Monday, February 3rd – @ Minnesota Timberwolves – 5:00 PM PT
  • Wednesday, February 5th – vs. Orlando Magic – 7:00 PM PT
  • Thursday, February 6th – @ Portland Trail Blazers – 7:00 PM PT
  • Saturday, February 8th – vs. New Orleans Pelicans – 7:00 PM PT

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